![]() ![]() would be reluctant to sell their state-of-the-art aircraft to Bangkok because of the Thai military’s close links with its Chinese counterpart, said Ian Storey, a senior fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore. treaty relationship,” he said, adding that the issue “must be reset and redressed.”Įarlier this year, the Thai Royal Air Force expressed interest in purchasing F-35 stealth fighter jets from the U.S.īut the U.S. “The fact that Thailand commissioned the Chinese submarines is an insult to the Thai-U.S. as a Non-NATO ally,” Kasit Piromya, a Thai former foreign minister, told BenarNews. Credit: ReutersĪn analyst, meanwhile, said Bangkok’s growing military ties with China have led to trust issues with the United States. ![]() ![]() The submarine’s delivery is scheduled for 2024.ĭespite his concerns, Prayuth told Thai reporters that any cancellation would not affect Thai-Chinese relations, according to the Bangkok Post.Ī Chinese navy submarine leaves Qingdao Port, Shandong province, in a file photo. Local media reported that CSOC had offered an alternative engine – an offer rejected by the government, which paid its first installment of 700 million baht (U.S. Pokkrong Monthatphalin, the Royal Thai Navy spokesman, said talks were to be held later this month with CSOC to discuss the engine issue. “What do we do with a submarine with no engines? Why should we purchase it?” Prayuth, who serves as the nation’s defense minister, told local media. The EU imposed its arms embargo on China in 1989 after the violent suppression of pro-democracy protests in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square.Įarlier this week, Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha said that if China could not fulfill the agreement, the submarine deal could be canceled. “China did not ask/coordinate with Germany before signing the Thai-China contract, offering German MTU engines as part of their product.” “The export was refused because of its use for a Chinese Military/Defense industry item,” said Philipp Doert, the German defense attaché to Thailand, told the Bangkok Post. The engine is manufactured by Germany’s Motor and Turbine Union (MTU). (CSOC) – could not obtain the diesel engine from Germany to fit into the sub because of the European Union arms embargo imposed on China, according to a German official. The Chinese state-owned submarine developer – China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Co. Because of budget constraints, the purchase of one submarine – now valued at 13.5 billion baht ($403 million) – got the green light but the other two were shelved. In April 2017, the Thai government approved the Royal Navy’s plan to buy three Yuan-class submarines from China valued at 36 billion baht (U.S. treaty relationship,” could run into trouble, officials and analysts said. Thailand’s long-planned purchase of three Chinese submarines, which a former top Bangkok diplomat described as “an insult to the Thai-U.S. ![]()
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